11 Best Venezuelan Beverages and Drinks

Café con leche in Venezuela is a staple morning beverage, essentially a combination of strong coffee and hot milk with a creamy, velvety texture.

The taste is a delicate balance of the coffee’s deep, aromatic bitterness softened by the milk. This beverage is often enjoyed with traditional pastries or arepas.

Papelón con Limón is a mixed drink from Venezuela, whose main ingredients are rapadura (sugar cane juice), water, and lime or lemon juice. Understandably, papelón con limón is a sought-after beverage on hot days, providing a sweet and tangy flavor.

Papelón con limón pairs wonderfully with traditional Venezuelan foods like cachapas (corn pancake), hervidos (chicken or beef stew), or arepas (round cornmeal cake).

Frescolita is a soft drink from Venezuela, and it’s also popular in other Latin American countries. The key ingredients of Frescolita are carbonated water, sugar, sodium benzoate, citric acid, and artificial color flavors.

This Venezuelan carbonated soft drink has a unique flavor reminiscent of bubblegum. Locals even use Frescolita in baking recipes. Plus, it’s similar to red cream sodas popular in the United States.

Chicha is a traditional drink from Latin America, especially Venezuela. Its main ingredients range from wild plants, corn, and potatoes to palm fruit. This drink can be either fermented or unfermented.

Venezuelan chicha is usually sweet and served with a topping of ground cinnamon or condensed milk. Fermented chicha can have considerable alcohol content.

Commonly, Chicha has a white color and eggnog-like consistency. You can find Chicha sold by street vendors in large Venezuelan cities.
Chicha de arroz is a non-fermented version made with milk, sugar, and boiled rice in Venezuela. Another variant, chicha andina, is typically sipped during Christmas and made with fermented pineapples.

Maltín polar is a popular non-alcoholic malt beverage from Venezuela. It’s brewed similarly to beer, using barley, hops, and water, but without the fermentation process that produces alcohol.

Maltín Polar has a rich, dark color and offers a thick, creamy head when poured. Its taste is reminiscent of a light beer but with a sweeter, more caramel-like flavor.

It’s a favorite among all age groups, especially as a refreshing drink during hot weather or as a casual beverage. It’s often consumed straight from the bottle or can.

Tizana is a mixed drink from Venezuela known for its vibrant color and refreshing flavor. It is the Spanish version of Tisane and is typically prepared with various tropical fruits, orange juice, limeade, and grenadine.

Tizana is a favorite at Venezuelan birthday parties, beach outings, and summer gatherings, often served with tasty snacks.

Venezuelan beer has a diverse range of options. In the country, it accounts for 69% of the Latin American nation’s alcohol consumption. Before local breweries took off, Venezuelans had to import beer from Brazil.

But the most popular Venezuelan beer brand is Cerveza Polar, a Pilsner-type beer introduced in 1941. Polar Light and Solera Light are famous light beers. For those who prefer non-alcoholic options, Maltin Polar is a popular choice.

Venezuelan rum is a distilled drink known as Ron de Venezuela in Spanish. Rum traces its origin back to Barbados, but the Venezuelan version has since developed a distinct identity. The rum is made by distilling sugarcane molasses until the concoction is ready for aging.

Among the many varieties, Ron Santa Teresa stands out as the first Venezuelan rum producer. It boasts over two centuries of experience, creating products with remarkably smokey and woody notes.

Another notable Venezuelan rum brand is Cacique, which debuted in 1959 and has since become the best-selling rum in Venezuela.

Ponche crema is a traditional Venezuelan liqueur invented by Eliodoro González in the early 20th century.

This cream-based drink blends milk, eggs, sugar, and rum, with spices like vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon rind.

Some Ponche crema variations even include instant coffee powder or liquid coffee for an extra kick. Ponche crema is usually served as a pousse-café (layered drink) or an aperitif for any gatherings. It is particularly popular during Christmas.

Cocuy is a distilled liquor from Venezuela that is very popular in the regions of Falcón and Lara. Made from the fermented juice of the Agave cocui plant, its taste is akin to tequila and mezcal, earning it the nickname “the tequila of Venezuela.”

Originally considered a cheap Venezuela rural drink, Cocuy has entered the urban scene, with many bars serving Cocuy-based cocktails.

Some Cocuy is aged in oak barrels for a deeper flavor profile. An example is Cocuy Pecayero, the first Venezuelan spirit to be awarded a controlled designation of origin.

Guarapita is an iconic cocktail from Venezuela made by blending rum or aguardiente and tropical fruit juice such as passion fruit, pineapple, or mango.

This cocktail offers a mix of sweetness and tanginess with a fruity flavor. Served chilled, guarapita is a favorite at beach parties, festive gatherings, and social events.